Love Hurts, Unfortunately, So Does Awkward Falls
by Artemis225
Summary: Just as some former members of the DA come to speak at Hogwarts for the weekend, Neville dislocates his knee. Things get pretty interesting as things begin to heat up between him and his long time crush; Luna Lovegood. Will the former students be able to show what it meant to be a child back then? To make sure history doesn't repeat it's self? For July Twin Exchange Challenge!


_**I don't own this since I'm obviously not JK Rowling.**_

**A/N: This is for the Twin exchange July Challenge. It's my first one challenge, so be kind. I hope you all enjoy it.**

**The injury is dislocated knee and the character is Neville.**

It was a cool yet sunny day. He was happy, the world was finally put to right, and he was a teacher, at Hogwarts. He never expected that he would be one of the most favorite teachers there, but alas, he was, and he was loving every minute of it. He felt at peace being back at the school, and there was very little that could bring down the smile on his face. Unfortunately, students who rode their broomsticks above the lake was one of them.

"Mr. Malfoy, Mr. Potter," he called to the two young students who were floating above the black water, "What on earth are you doing?"

"We practicing Professor Longbottom," called the cheeky blonde. Neville saw him smirk at Albus and he tried hard to keep his impatience under control.

"Practicing what? Trying to break your necks, or drown," Neville asked sarcastically, and the two young men were grinning now.

"We were practicing our speed for Quidditch. Thought the water would soften our fall," Albus said and Neville shook his head.

"You two come over here right now," Neville said, his hand clutching his wand, an amused yet worried smile on his face.

"Or what Professor," Scorpius called, but Neville could see them beginning to fly back. He didn't sigh out in relief like he would've when he was younger, but his features visibly relaxed as he winked at them.

"Do you really want to find out," he asked them, and they shook their heads no, but there was a huge smile on their faces. Neville nodded, a single brow lifted, "That's what I thought. 10 points away from Gryffindor and Slytherin." They began to protest, but he lifted his hand to stop them and they quieted down reluctantly, "You are lucky I'm not taking away fifty and saying that you can't play at the next game. Fortunately I'm only giving you a week's detention with me." The two boys smiled at him when they heard the news, because detention with Professor Longbottom was always fun, if not grueling.

"Now I trust you won't pull this stunt again. Because if you do, I would have to resort to telling the Headmistress," Neville said to them, and smiled when they shook their head enthusiastically at the his words. He nodded, the smile softening on his face, "Ok then. Now go take these brooms back and we can go talk about your detention." The boys nodded, then all of a sudden two girls came running up to them, excited and happy looks on their faces.

"Scorp, Al, guess what," the older girl that Neville knew to be Rose Weasley came running up to them, holding a piece of paper, "Oh, hello Professor," giving Neville a small acknowledgment. Neville gave her an amused nod at her slight brush off.

"Hello Rose," and then a girl that looked a lot like Ginny pushed passed him and gave Scorpius a quick kiss on the lips. Neville raised an eye brow again, his amused smile never leaving his face when Scorpius shrugged to him.

"What is it," Albus asked impatiently, and the two girls jumped up and down, their excitement coming off of them in waves.

"Dad, mum, Uncle Ron, and Aunt Hermione are coming to speak later this week to speak to the older grades. Along with Aunt Luna, Uncle George, and other members of the DA and the Order," Lily said excitedly, and then looked at Neville, a curious look on her face, "Are you going to be speaking as well Professor?"

"Yes I am Lily. Although it was supposed to be a secret. Promise you guys won't tell anyone, at least until dinner tonight. That's when we were going to tell the whole school," Neville said conspiratorially and the other students nodded with slight reverence. He nodded back and looked at Scorpius.

"Your father will becoming as well Scorpius," Neville said, and everyone seemed to freeze. Scorpius looked at Neville with wide eyes. Neville placed his hand on his shoulder to give him a reassuring squeeze along with a gentle smile.

"Your father is proud of you Scorpius," Neville said, remembering when Draco Malfoy sent him a letter the day after the sorting to watch over his son. The first Malfoy to ever be sorted into Gryffindor.

"I just don't know how he'll take it when he hears I'm dating Lily Luna Potter," he told the teacher and Lily looked at him with wide eyes, which instantly filled with fire. Like mother like daughter.

"You haven't told him yet," Lily shrieked and Scorpius ducked his head. Neville stepped away a bit, along with Rose and Albus to give the couple some room. Neville turned to Albus and Rose.

"Your parents are proud of you too. You know that right," he said to them, and they nodded slowly, "Even though, I must say I was a bit surprised when Harry Potter's son, and Ron Weasley's daughter were both sorted into Slytherin. First Weasleys to do so. But they are proud of you, no matter what. You have to remember that." The two teens nodded again, and by that point the couple was in a heated yelling match.

"Even my parents know," Lily yelled, "How have you not told your father?"

"It's different ok," Scorpius yelled back and Neville stepped forward a bit, getting ready to break it up. He was right behind Lily when she stomped her foot on the ground, and slipped from the mud, right into Neville. He tried to catch her, but he fell awkward and heard more than felt the pop in his knee. He and the young girl fell, and he felt his heart pound, his breathing quicken as the pain shot through him.

"Argh," he yelled in pain as Lily landed on his knee. Scorpius grabbed her and pulled her off of the professor when he realized something was wrong. Neville had broken out into a cool sweat as he tried to get his breathing under control. The pain felt white hot, and the only reason he wasn't crying was from all the torture he had been subjected to during the war. The younger students all crowded around him, worried looks on their faces.

"Your knee is dislocated," Albus said matter-of-factly and Neville began to chuckle, then hissed in pain when he tried to move to be more comfortable. The students looked at him with confused expressions.

"Come out of the war with barely a scratch, teaching at school and I end up with a dislocated knee," he mumbled out and the boys had smirks on their faces. Lily was covering her face in shock.

"Merlin Professor! I am _so_ sorry," she apologized and Neville weakly waved her off.

"It was an accident Lily, it's fine, can someone please get another teacher or something. Or help me get to the hospital wing," he said and the boys helped him up, making sure he didn't put any weight on the hurt leg.

"Come on Professor, let's go get that knee fixed," Albus said and Neville nodded, sweat on his brow, and the group hobbled off to the hospital wing.

"Well Mr. Longbottom, you dislocated your knee," Poppy Pomfrey said to the young teacher that was lying in her hospital bed. She felt a bit nostalgic all of a sudden at the sight of him. She took a shuddering breath and Neville gave her a worried look.

"Are you ok Poppy," he asked gently and she nodded. When she made a tiny sniffle he grabbed her wrinkled, yet soft hand, his thumb rubbing it lightly, "What's the matter Poppy?"

"So many memories of you young ones here in my hospital wing. It just came flooding back to me. And all of the people we lost in that ridiculous war. Stay off that knee Neville Longbottom," she shrieked when Neville stood up and wrapped her in a hug. She sniffled a bit more, and he saw her wipe a tear away. He said nothing and pulled away again, lying back down on to the bed. Poppy gave a watery chuckle as she hastily wiped tears away. Neville gave her a bright smile.

"So what's the damage," he asked and she looked at him.

"Well, you've dislocated your knee," she said and he nodded slowly.

"Yes, I think we've covered that. Is there anything I can take or can you wave your wand or something," he asked and she shook her head. His smile fell almost instantly.

"Sorry dear. I'm afraid only time can fix this. You dislocated it pretty bad, so I'll have to put a metal cast on it. You'll have to walk on crutches for a while. The only thing I can give you really is a pain killing potion. But that's about it. Are you excited for your former classmates to come tomorrow," the experienced healer said as she began the process for the knee brace. Neville nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, it's going to be fun and interesting having them back. Just like old times," Neville said and he saw her shaking her head, "What?"

"Just please don't make it exactly like old times. I don't think I could handle having all of you back in my hospital wings," she said pleadingly and Neville gave a happy laugh.

"Yes Poppy," he told her and shook his head, a smile on his face.

"Is that Neville Longbottom," a cheerful voice said behind him and Neville slowly turned around because of the crutches. He had a huge grin when he saw the long red hair and bright smile of one Ginny Potter.

"Indeed it is. Is that Ginny Potter," he replied and she smiled as she walked up to him and gave him a tight hug.

"You look great," a confused look suddenly came over her when she looked at his crutches, "But why the crutches and knee brace."

"A certain Lily Luna Potter and an awkward fall," he said with a shrug. Ginny covered her mouth in shock, much like her daughter did.

"Oh merlin Neville! Are you ok," she asked and she began to ask him tons of questions about what had happened.

"Give him some room to breathe Gin," Harry said from behind them and he gave Neville a rough guy hug. Harry moved back and smirked when he saw the thankful look on Neville's face. Harry wrapped an arm around Ginny's waist as he looked at the Professor, "So what happened with my daughter and an awkward fall?"

"Scorpius failed to tell his father that he was seeing Lily," Neville informed them and they got a worried and startled look on their faces, "I know, that's what I was thinking. She started yelling at him. I was about to break it up, she slipped, I tried to be a hero and catch her. Fell wrong, and dislocated my knee. Poppy unfortunately doesn't have a magical antidote to fix it, so I'm stuck on crutches for the next three months."

"Wow Neville, I'm sorry mate," Harry said, but their attention was redirected when Hermione and Ron stepped through. Hermione hugged him first.

"Neville! You look amazing! All of the female students must be falling over you," Hermione said and Neville laughed and nodded.

"Actually, yes. I was quite surprised to hear that I am the hottest teacher since Lupin," Neville told them and they all laughed as he received another guy hug from Ron.

"How is my girl doing Neville," Ron asked, and he received a hit to the stomach from Hermione, "What? A parent has a right to know. Especially with her being in Slytherin."

"But we aren't here to pester Neville with questions. We are here to show the students what they can do with their lives, and to speak to them about the war," Hermione said and Ron nodded.

"I know, I know, but I can still be curious. So Neville, how is she doing," Ron asked again and Hermione rolled her eyes, causing Neville to chuckle.

"Really, it's ok Hermione. She's doing brilliantly, as only a child of Hermione can. Hugo is doing good as well. He seems to have his eyes on a certain Lydia Finnigan, so watch out for that," he told them and Ron looked at Hermione, shocked, then turned back to Neville.

"And who does my daughter have eyes on," Ron asked, and he got hit again, harder this time, "What? A father has a right to know!" Hermione rolled her eyes again and Neville gave a wink to her, making her giggle.

"It's not so much who she has eyes on, but who has eyes on her," Neville said in a riddle and Ron gave a confused look. Hermione sighed at her husband, but Neville continued, "Charles Zabini seems to have noticed her, but she pays him no mind, so don't worry too much about it." At that moment George stepped through the doors now, a huge smile covering his face.

"Neville my man," George said and gave him a side hug, trying to make sure he didn't disrupt the crutches, "How are things? See you got injured."

"Yes, a bad fall, but I'm fine. Where's Angelina," Neville asked, curious to where George's other half was.

"She decided to stay behind for the baby. She's been too tired to try to come anyway. Wow, it's weird being back. I wish Fr-," George stopped suddenly before he said his name. A sudden sadness came over the group at the remembrance of the prankster. Suddenly the doors blasted open and Draco Malfoy swaggered through, but Neville noticed he looked sad. He was dressed impeccably in a navy blue suit, his white hair slicked back to show off his aristocratic features. He was dressed much differently to the others that had come, who were dressed in their, more or less, street clothes. He used to exude confidence, now he exuded lack of certainty.

"Malfoy," Ron said through gritted teeth. Malfoy looked at him, and gave him and Hermione a small nod and turned to Neville.

"Hello Longbottom," he said politely, and he shook Neville's hand, "It's good to see you well."

"You too Malfoy. Scorpius will be happy to see you," Neville said, and Draco nodded. He shook hands with Harry, and gave a small nod to Ginny.

"Why the long face Malfoy," George asked suddenly, "Aren't you happy to see us?"

Draco gave a small smirk, "No more than usual Weasley." George gave a hearty laugh as he patted Draco on the back, almost knocking him over.

"You aren't half bad Malfoy. Why did we hate you all these years," George asked rhetorically, which Ron answered.

"Because he hated all of our guts and was a former Death Eater," Ron growled out and everyone looked at him sharply, glaring at him. Neville saw their hands twitch towards their pockets and he hobbled over as quickly as he could in front of Draco. Everyone looked at him shocked, with wide eyes as he faced Ron with a hard look.

"Enough," he said simply, dropping the crutch with his wand arm. The loud clattering made the girls jump, but he continued to stare Ron down, "We are out of Hogwarts, the war is over. Enough." He could feel Draco's eyes burrowing into his back, but he kept his gaze on Ron. Neville saw Hermione walk up to him, and placed her hand on his wand hand, whispering something in his ear. He dropped his battle stance but his furious expression never left his face. It was silent in the room after that.

"The wrackspurts are making the air so tense," Luna's wistful voice said from behind them, causing everyone to jump. Hermione and Ginny greeted her first, their voices practically shrieks from excitement as they trapped her in a hug. All Neville could do was stare at her. The light seemed to spotlight on her, showcasing her pale skin and white, flowing hair. He could see how age gave her curves in all of the right places, which the bright yellow strapless dress showed off perfectly. It was cinched in at her waist with a white belt, her leanness accentuated by the white heels she was wearing. He couldn't help but look her over as she greeted everyone in the room, her knowing smile gracing her lips. He stared at her lips for a moment, totally transfixed by them. They were pinked in perfection, and the bottom lip was slightly larger than the top, giving her a delicious pout. He then stared at her eyes, their perfect almond shape surrounding brilliant crystal blue. That's when he realized she was speaking to him.

"Huh…wha…sorry," Neville spluttered, and took a few deep breaths to get his heart rate under control. He shook his head lightly as if to get the cobwebs out, or the images of Luna in his bedroom, out of his head. He looked back and gave her a bright smile, "Hey Luna. How are you? How is the Quibbler coming along? And St. Mungos?"

"Everything is going nicely, thank you for asking," she said to him in her soft voice. She smiled brightly back at him, "How is everything here at Hogwarts?"

"It's going splendidly. All of my students are great. I love it here," he said to her, she nodded, never tearing her eyes away from him. He opened his mouth to say something, but at the moment McGonagall, a bright and happy smile on her face.

"Welcome back to Hogwarts," she said in her crisp accent, but Neville could see the joy in her eyes, "I will be announcing you all at dinner tonight. Mr. Malfoy, I think it would be best to announce you last, for the fact that I don't know how the students will react," she said to him and he nodded, understanding completely. McGonagall gave him a soft smile and she turned back to the group, "We will be holding the various seminars over the weekends, where students can attend if they wish. It's mostly for fifth year and up." Hermione raised her hand, and Neville saw her lips twitch to fight the amused smile, "You don't have to raise your hand Hermione, you are no longer a student of mine."

"Oh, sorry, force of habit," Hermione said a bit sheepishly, but a smile was on her face, as well as everyone else.

"You had something to say Hermione," McGonagall asked gently, and Hermione's eyes widened when she remembered.

"Oh, yes. Think we should make it available to all of the students. If we are to speak of the war, I think all of the students should hear about it. We won't be so…ah…descriptive with the other students, but I think they should still hear about what happened," Hermione said and the other adults nodded. McGonagall thought about it for a long moment before agreeing.

"Very well Mrs. Weasley. The seminars will be available to all students. I will have to rework the schedule, so I will hand it to you tomorrow night for you all to prepare. If you are willing, Hermione and Draco, it would be appreciated if you held a seminar together. I am afraid there is still much hatred within the houses, particularly between Slytherin and Gryffindor, and I think it would do a lot to see former enemies working together," McGonagall said gently and Neville noticed Ron begin to turn red. Both Hermione and Draco nodded promptly and enthusiastically.

"Of course Professor…I mean Headmistress," Hermione said, blushing at her mistake, "I think it would be good for the students as well. And Ronald Weasley, if I hear one word come out of your mouth against this I will hex you into next week," Hermione said suddenly and Ron spluttered.

"What? I can have an opinion against this," Ron said and everyone sighed, but Hermione gave him 'the look'.

"I'm serious Ronald. If you don't I'll have Ginny help me, and I've heard she has those Bat-Bogey Hexes down to a science. Now, either let it go, or leave now, because I'm not going to deal with this," Hermione said and the husband and wife had a stare off for a moment. Everyone watched, waiting to see who would win. Everyone sighed in relief when Ron looked away and grumbled his acceptance. Hermione gave a triumphant smirk, then looked at Draco questioningly.

"Don't worry Granger, I'm going to work with you. I'm not the same boy that I used to be," Draco said and Hermione gave him a reassuring smile.

"It's Weasley, Malfoy," she told him and he smirked at her.

"You'll always be Granger to me," he retorted and Ron began to turn red again.

"Are you flirting with _my _wife," he asked, his voice a deadly calm. Only the color of his face showed how angry he was. Draco rolled his eyes.

"Believe me Weasley, you'll know when I'm flirting with your wife. Now can you please get over the fact that you hate me, at least for the weekend? I would like my son to know that I'm not the same bastard that I was when I was his age," Draco said to him, and everyone seemed taken aback by the statement. Ron said nothing as his redness returned to his normal pale coloring, and he nodded with wide eyes.

"Good," McGonagall said suddenly and all of the attention was back on her, "Now that we have that settled. You should go to your rooms and get ready for the dinner tonight. Neville will show you where they are. I will see you all later." With that she swooped out, and everyone turned to look at Neville, who had a sheepish look on his face.

"Well come you lot," Neville said and he started hobbling to the stairs, "You're gonna have to go slow, it takes me a minute to get up the stairs."

"I'll be by your side Neville," Luna said suddenly, "In case you fall." She smiled brightly at him, and words were caught in his throat. He nodded jerkily.

"Oh, ok," he said, and he heard snickering from behind them. He gave them one of his teacher glares, which shut them up immediately, "Well, come on then."

"Before we begin our dinner," McGonagall said at the famous phoenix podium, all of the students' eyes on her. It was silent as they listened a bit impatiently, ready to eat. "I would like to give an announcement. For this weekend, some very important people have come to discuss the Second Wizarding War, and their life after word. We have been striving to educate you all on the importance of what has happened, to ensure that it never happens again. We lost many lives during that war, both loved ones and enemies. And we believe that they should be remembered. So, these former students of Hogwarts will hold lectures this weekend. You can go if you wish, it is not mandatory. But I would hope that all of you would attend to learn this important piece of history that has changed our lives forever. So, I would like to introduce Harry Potter." Harry stepped through the large wooden doors, and the whole hall erupted into applause. McGonagall held her head higher in pride of her former pupil as she introduced the next person, "Hermione Weasley, formerly known as Granger." Hermione stepped out, a strong and confident smile on her face as she stood next to Harry. "Ronald Weasley." McGonagall said and Ron stepped out next, his back straight as he walked down the center. The three best friends stood together in the middle as McGonagall continued to speak.

"These three students are the most brave, and loyal people I have ever met, and I am sad to say that they had to grow up entirely too early," the hall was silent as McGonagall spoke her heart filled words, she cleared her throat, ignoring the single tear that fell down her face, "Next I would like to introduce Ginevra Potter, formerly known as Weasley." Ginny walked through, her head high as she smiled at Harry. She stood next to him and gently touched his hand as McGonagall introduced the next person, "George Weasley." George walked out, a huge smile on his face as he waved to the students. The applause quieted so McGonagall could say the next person, "Luna Lovegood." The applause wasn't as loud as the others, but Luna seemed to take it into stride as she walked serenely down the aisle.

"Your Professor Longbottom," McGonagall called, and Neville hobbled down to stand beside Luna who was next to George. He gave nods to the students, a confident smile on his face. But his heart was pounding as McGonagall introduced the last person.

"And last, but definitely not least, Draco Malfoy," McGonagall called and Malfoy stepped through the doors, his walk no longer a swagger, but the one of an aristocrat. The hall was completely silent as Malfoy stood next to Ginny. Everyone's eyes were wide as they stared at the group, and McGonagall's voice seemed to shatter the thick silence.

"I will trust that you all will give them your upmost respect, no matter your feelings. They did not have to come, and if you want a repeat of this privilege, you will show your respect. If I hear otherwise, you will suffer very severe consequences. Now, let's eat," she said merrily, a smile on her face, and all of the adults sat down at the teachers' table. McGonagall walked over to Neville briskly, a worried look on her face.

"Neville, I have to ask you to be in all of the seminars as to ensure that nothing will happen. Especially with Mrs. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall said, her shoulders tense and Neville nodded.

"Of course Minerva," he told her and he saw her visibly relax. She gave him a grateful smile and walked back to her seat to eat. Neville ran his hand through his hair and sighed while thinking, _this is gonna be a long weekend_.

"So, Malfoy and I will have Saturday morning, Harry, Ron and I Saturday afternoon. Luna and Neville Sunday morning. Ginny, George, and Ron Sunday afternoon. Then all of us Sunday evening at dinner. It's a good schedule," Hermione said as she read the piece of paper that Friday night, "Since the dinner one is going to go a bit long for obvious reasons, they've cancelled Monday's morning classes. We are going to be holding it in the Great Hall, for all of the students that want to be there. Yes, I like it a lot. Neville, you are going to be present for all of the seminars," Hermione asked him as they sat around his living room. He nodded.

"Minerva thought it would be best, just in case something happens," Neville told them, looking pointedly at Draco and Hermione. They all nodded, then began to discuss what they should talk about with the students. And what they shouldn't.

Neville, Hermione, and Draco were standing in front of the podium that Saturday morning, all of them dressed in relatively comfortable clothes. Even Draco forwent the dark business suit he usually wore. There were chairs arranged in a half-circle so as to get the best view possible. They all had relaxed smiles on their faces as the students began to walk in, excitement brewing around them. Scorpius walked in with Lily, hand in hand, and Neville saw Draco's eyes narrow just a tiny bit. It was such a miniscule movement, that he wasn't even sure it happened. But he felt the air tense immediately, and as the last of the students sat down, Neville stepped forward to break it.

"Hello. I'm glad to see all of you here. Before Mr. Malfoy and Mrs. Weasley begin I want to make one thing clear. If any of you doing anything disrespectful to them while they are speaking or answering questions, I will not hesitate to action. McGonagall has given e permission to remove as many house points as I deem necessary, and whatever punishment I see befitting. You have one warning, and I just gave it to you. Now, while they are speaking I want you to be quiet, and they will answer questions after words," Neville concluded his small speech and he gave a nod to Draco and Hermione. Hermione smiled at him and she stepped forward first.

"Hello, my name is Hermione Weasley. While I am here, feel free to ask me or talk to me about anything," she smiled at them, and Draco stepped forward next. Neville saw the students tense up from where he was sitting, and he tried to keep his blood pressure under control.

"I am Draco Malfoy, as I am sure you all know. Although I may not be a welcome name in your homes, I would like to extend the same invitation as Hermione did. If you need to talk to me, or ask me questions, feel free to do so. I will not push you away. Now, let's begin," he gave them a gentle smile, and everyone seemed to relax for a moment, "As you all know I am the head of the Malfoy Empire as well as Head Auror, along with Harry Potter, and Ronald Weasley, much to his distaste," everyone gave a small chuckle to this, along with Hermione and Neville. Draco straightened his back and his face turned serious, "I was also, as I am sure most of you know, a former Death Eater. I did try to kill Albus Dumbledore, and my family was one of Voldemort's inner circle. The Malfoy family and the Black family were blood supremacists, and I am sad to say that I was as well. You may be wondering why I am being so open about this subject, and the only reason that I can think of is that I do not want a repeat of what happened all those years ago." Draco took a shaky breath, and Hermione stepped in.

"As most of you know, I am a muggle-born. I helped Harry Potter, along with my husband Ron, to defeat Voldemort. The peace that you now live with, was not true back then. Muggle-Borns and Half-bloods were hunted, because it was believed that we had filthy blood. How many of you have noticed that your parents, and/or grandparents never say Voldemort," Hermione asked, and nearly all of the students raised their hands. The only ones that didn't were the Weasley children, the Potter children, and Scorpius Malfoy. She gave a small nod and they put their hands down. "Voldemort, or Tom Riddle, was at the height of his power when Harry Potter, along with myself, Draco, and Professor Longbottom were born. He was, the darkest wizard to have ever lived, and the main reason for that was because he could not love. He was physically incapable of it, and by the time he was defeated he was more beast than man. Now, how many of you had heard of Horcruxes," only a few of the students raised their hands, and the ones that did was mostly the children of the DA. Hermione nodded as she shook her head, and she looked at Draco to take over.

"Horcruxes are objects that hold a piece of a person's soul. One of the reasons why they are so evil, is because you have to kill a person to make one. It was supposed to make you immortal. The more you make, the more immortal you become. Voldemort made seven of these. He split his soul seven times. This is incredibly dangerous."

"They were very dark times," Hermione said, and everyone's eyes moved to her, "Voldemort was rising back to power, in one form or another, and Harry, Ron, and I went on many adventures here at this very school to thwart him. This was mostly Harry. I want you to understand something very important; blood does _not _matter. Where you come from, who your family is does _not _matter. And if anyone tells you differently you tell the Headmistress because we worked too hard, too many lives were lost, to have such mindless hatred remain."

"Now, there will always be someone who believes in the old ways. But I want you to know that as long as you love someone, you will always be one step ahead of the hate," Draco said to them. Hermione and Draco spoke for another half hour, and soon the session was coming to a close. Neville stood up and smiled at the students.

"Now is the time for questions. So if you have any, ask them now," he said to them, and five hands immediately shot up. Hermione nodded to a third year girl in the back.

"This is for Mr. Malfoy," she said, her voice sounding timid, he gave her a reassuring smile and nodded to her, saying that she should continue, "You said that being a Death Eater was not your choice. If that's so, why did you join?" Draco thought about the answer for a second, and the whole room was silent in anticipation.

"Because I had to," he said simply, "My father failed to do as the Dark Lord ordered, so I had to join to right the "wrong" that my father did. That was why I was charged with killing Albus Dumbledore. I will always have the dark mark be a part of me, but the dark mark is not who I am." The girl nodded and Draco smiled at her as he gave her a nod, "Any other questions?" A seventh year girl raised her hand next and he nodded to her.

"This is for Mrs. Weasley," Hermione smiled at her, "How did you and your husband end up together? Since you three were such best friends." Hermione blushed at the question, and Draco had a huge grin on his face, as did Neville, who knew the story well.

"Well…ah…you see," Hermione stuttered a minute, her blush getting deeper, "Well, I had liked him for years, and during the Battle of Hogwarts we were in the Chamber of Secrets, getting some basilisks' fangs for the horcruxes, when all of a sudden, the water rose up and came after us. I don't quite remember how we stopped it, but we were just staring at each other, and then I kissed him." Draco began to snicker and she gave him an elbow to his side, effectively making him stop and causing him to cough to cover it up. Neville saw this and he gave out a hearty laugh, making all of the students look at him strangely. He stopped immediately, a sheepish look on his face. Another student raised their hand, this time a fifth year boy.

"Yes Mr. Macmillan," Neville said and the boy pompously looked at the adults, like father like son.

"If you two used to hate each other so much, why are you able to work together right now? Or even act like friends," Macmillan asked and Hermione and Draco smiled at each other.

"We grew up," Hermione told him and he gave her a confused look, so Draco elaborated.

"After what we've been through, we realized that our hate was petty and unneeded. It took me a while longer to realize that," he looked at Hermione and they gave each other small smiles, "But I'm glad that I eventually did, because Hermione, Harry, Neville, and many other people have been good friends to me, even though they didn't have to." The room was silent again, but it was a thoughtful silence. Neville stood up slowly and hobbled over to the front of the group.

"That's the end of this session, Mr. Potter, Mrs. Weasley, and Mr. Weasley will be here after lunch for an afternoon session. I hope to see you all then. You can leave if you wish," Neville said to the students. They all began to clatter around, trying to get out of the hall. Only the Potter children, Weasley children, and Scorpius stayed behind.

"Hey mum," Rose and Hugo said as they gave her a hug. Hermione held them to her tightly, a huge smile on her face.

"Hello. Rose, Hugo, I want you to meet someone," Hermione straightened as she directed them to Draco. He looked at her with fearful and uncertain eyes. She gave him a reassuring smile, "Kids, this is Draco Malfoy."

"Hello, nice to finally meet you sir," Rose said enthusiastically, shaking his hand vigorously. Draco gave Hermione a shocked expression, which she just shrugged.

"Nice to meet you as well. Scorpius speaks of you and your cousin Albus often. I'm glad to finally meet his best friends," Draco said to her, giving her a smile. She smiled back as Scorpius walked up with Lily, who had a determined look on her face, while he looked fearful.

"Dad," Scorpius said, his voice strong but a bit unsure. Draco looked at his son, his smile getting wider. Scorpius took a large swallow, "This is my girlfriend, Lilly Potter."

"Oh yes," Draco said cheerfully, startling his son a bit, "I'm glad to finally meet the girl that holds my son's affections. It's very hard to get him to show them, a trait he gets from me unfortunately." Draco smiled at the young Ginny look-a-like. Neville began to hobble away at that moment, a sad feeling coming over him. He felt an ache in his heart. He was alone. He wanted what the Weasley's had, what the Potter's had, even what Malfoy had. He wanted a family, a huge house, two dogs and one cat that he hated, he wanted it all, but he still didn't have it.

Everyone thought that he would be one of the first few people to be married, and he sighed deeply as he leaned against the wall across from where the families were. He watched them as thoughts of family filled his mind. As more and more flashed across his brain the more and more he saw Luna, standing beside him watching their children, in their bed at night having se-

"They are a beautiful family," Luna said from next to him, ripping him from his thoughts. He blushed slightly when he saw her, feeling like she could read his mind. He cleared his throat, and turned pale when Luna gave him a knowing smile. He stared at her with wide eyes before looking back at the families in front of them and nodding.

"They are," he sighed out, finally relaxing next to her, "I want what they have," he admitted to her and she looked at him.

"I'm sure you'll have that soon Neville," she told him in her dreamy voice and he felt a warm heat run through his body. He felt peaceful whenever he was near her, but this feeling was different. It felt electric, and crazed. He had felt the feeling before, but this time it seemed more at the surface.

"Walk with me Luna," he blurted out suddenly, but he was too focused on the heat to really be embarrassed. She gave him a gentle nod and they began to walk out of the Great Hall. It was silent between them, but Neville didn't really care. He just wanted to be next to her, and the heat in his body seemed insistent on it. Suddenly he grabbed her hand, hoping that the burning would stop, but it didn't. Luna didn't say anything about his sudden move and soon they were on the edges of the Black Lake.

"I miss it here sometimes," Luna said suddenly, looking out over the black water, "Being able to be close to all of the magic that is here. Every time I walk onto the grounds I can feel it hum in the air, and feel at home."

"There's a teaching position open," Neville told her and she smiled down to the ground.

"I wouldn't be a good teacher Neville," she told him, then finally looked at him with her glowing eyes, "Not like you."

"Really? I thought I was rubbish at it in the beginning," Neville told her, never looking away, "But I remembered Lupin and how he made it fun for the class, and that made us want to learn. So I decided to make it fun too."

"You are an amazing teacher Neville. I wouldn't be good at it. I'm better at looking for the creatures than explaining them," Luna said, her soft voice a bit firmer. He liked the sound of it on her. They stared into each other's eyes, and Neville felt his heart's pace quicken. He gently touched her cheek, his thumb lightly rubbing circles into it. His hand began to tingle from the contact and he leaned his head down towards hers. He felt their breaths mingle as he watched her close her eyes. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, and finally their lips met. It wasn't frantic, like he was almost expecting. It was soft, gentle, her lips soft and moving against his. It still seemed to knock his breath out of him though as he dropped his crutches to the ground and wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her closer. He felt her hands move up to his hair, lightly playing with it. Neville felt his balance weaken all of a sudden, and he lurched forward towards Luna, causing her to lose her balance as well. His brain anticipated the beginnings of a fall and he twisted his body so that Luna landed on top of him.

"Neville Longbottom," Luna began, a bit breathless, "Was that a ploy to get me on top of you?"

Neville blushed as all of his confidence flew out of the window, mistaking her teasing tone, "Why…no…I…uh…" He spluttered out and Luna laughed her bright, airy laugh.

"Don't worry Neville, I was just teasing you," she told him, and Neville sighed in relief. She gave him a light kiss on the lips, making his head swim. He fought to get his body under control.

"We should head back to the school. It's Harry, Hermione, and Ron's seminar up next," Neville told her breathlessly and Luna nodded, easing off of him. She helped him up and they walked back to the castle in silence, pure joy on their faces.

"I am happy to see some new faces in this grouping," Neville said, a gentle smile on his face as he spoke to the three hundred or so more students than earlier, "So, I am going to repeat myself. You are to show the upmost respect to our guests. Questions will be saved until _after_ they are finished speaking. If you act up in anyway during this seminar, I will take away fifty house points and two months detention Slughorn. This is your one warning. Please make me proud, and welcome Harry Potter, Hermione Weasley, and Ron Weasley," Neville announced, and the entire room erupted into applause. Neville stepped down and walked to the same seat he had earlier, memories of the war flooding his mind.

His soul began to feel to feel dark as some of the memories began to rise in his mind. The pain and the deaths of so many. People who were mothers, daughters, fathers, and brothers. He didn't understand how people could be so evil. So deranged and insane that they don't feel anything at all at the prospect of hurting someone. He began to think about Bellatrix, and he physically shivered as her crazed cackle filled his mind. He could feel his heart began to race in fear and adrenaline as he remembered the war. He tried to stop the racing thoughts, but nothing seemed to work, until thoughts of Luna filled his mind. He felt a sudden peace come over him, and a sudden ache in his knee.

The throbbing became more prominent, and he hissed out in pain. It wasn't as bad as the initial accident, but it was pretty close. He stood up slowly, walking gingerly, making sure he was taking his time. Harry was standing off to the side as Ron and Hermione were speaking, and he gave Neville a concerned look as he hobbled up to him.

"You ok Neville," he asked quietly, not wanting to disturb the session, "You are looking a bit pale all of a sudden."

"I'm fine," Neville said a bit hoarsely, "My knee began to hurt so I'm going to go to Pomfrey to have her look at it, make sure everything is ok. I'm sure you can handle these little devils," Neville asked, a smirk on his face. Harry smiled back at him.

"Please, these little buggers are easy to handle," Harry said confidently, and Neville snorted at the comment.

"Not as easy as you would think. I'll talk to you guys later. Good Luck," Neville said, and Harry nodded to him, giving the cue for Neville to leave. Neville tried to leave as inconspicuously as he could so as not to disturb the very attentive audience, but it was rather difficult to do with crutches. He walked very slowly as the pain in his knee intensified, and he couldn't help but groan at the fact that the Hospital wing was so far away. He was tempted to call a broom to at least ride up there, but that would send a bad message to the children. He was puffing air in and out when he saw Luna standing at the top of the stairs, a worried look on her face.

"Neville," she breathed out, her eyebrows furrowed, a look that should never be on her face, "I've been looking everywhere for you. You've been gone for nearly two hours." Neville looked at her a bit taken aback, then hissed out in pain, a cold sweat breaking out over his face, and Luna rushed down to him. Her furrow deepened and Neville lightly touched it, as she smoothed away his soaked hair.

"Come on Neville," she said to him, her voice firm, "Let's get you to Pomfrey. This seems a lot more serious than a knee injury." She said to him, and Neville gave her a weak smile. He stared at her dreamily as she wrapped an arm around his waist while she placed his arm around her shoulders.

"It just hurts Luna," he told her, but he sounded tired, "Nothing I haven't gone through before. And I'm sure I'll go through it again if I have the long life that I've wanted." Luna gave him her wistful and knowing smile, the furrow in her brow finally relaxing. He felt her tighten her grip around his waist and they began to make the trek to the hospital wing.

"You need to relax for today Neville," Poppy Pomfrey told him in the Hospital wing an hour later. Luna sat next to his bed, her hand being held tightly in his. Poppy continued, "You seem to have wrenched it a bit. I'll give you some pain killer, but I'm going to keep you here over night, and most likely until tomorrow morning," the hard look in the mediwitch's eyes softened, "You need to take it easy Neville. You don't have to be the only teacher here that runs after the students. You aren't alone." Neville sighed at her words, and Luna's hand tightened.

"I know that Poppy," he told her, his voice strong, "But I feel like I have to protect these kids. I don't want a repeat with Tom Riddle," he told her and Luna placed a gentle hand on his cheek, making him look at her.

"Neville," she said quietly, "Tom Riddle was…was someone who had no heart, no soul whatsoever. These children are different. They are a different generation that were raised with different beliefs and fears. You can't stop it from happening again, if it ever does."

"But I can help. I don't want my students to be afraid to talk to me. I can help them," he told her, and Luna gave him his favorite smile. He felt like he could stare into her eyes forever.

"You don't need to do it alone," she said to him, her voice air-like. She stood up slowly, her smile never fading, "I'm going to go tell the others what happened, and then I'll be back. We'll talk more later." She bent down and gave him a kiss on the forehead, smiled again, and walked away. Before she got to the door she began to skip like she used to in their school days, and Neville couldn't fight the grin that was on his face. Poppy watched him for a moment, before speaking.

"You love her," she said suddenly, and Neville looked up at her, his smile still on his face before he gave a small nod.

"Yea, I think I do. She's just so different, so fresh. I can't help but smile when I'm around her. She definitely gives a new perspective to the world, and I love her courage," he said to his friend, and Poppy smiled at him before handing him a pain potion. He grimaced at the bottle before downing it in a single shot, the grimace turning into a face of disgust, "Is there no way to make potions taste at least a tiny bit less like acid and thestral piss?"

"Mr. Longbottom," she hissed out, but he noted the amused glint in her eyes, "Although there are no students currently in the wing, I would politely ask you to not speak with such crudeness." He gave her a sheepish look, that soon turned into a devilish smirk, showing off his handsome features.

"Yes Madame Pomfrey," he said to her, and she humphed away, her small heels clicking on the new marble floors. He saw her smile as she escaped into her office for the night. He slinked down into the bed, his eyes looking up at the ceiling, images of Luna flashing across his mind.

"I have to at least go to my own seminar," he pleaded to the mediwitch, an imploring look on his face the next morning. She shook her head, her arms crossing in front of her. Luna was back beside him, her hand back in his.

"I'm sorry Neville, but you could risk further injuring your knee, and it would take much longer to heal. Now do you want to be stuck in a chair for the next three months," she asked rhetorically. Neville sighed, but then Luna spoke up for him.

"What if he sat the entire time," she asked, and the two adults looked at her, "Nothing says that he has to stand for the seminar. He can sit down with knee up. But I agree he should stay here until our seminar together. He needs to get as much rest as he can," Luna finished, and a look of hope and happiness came over Neville's face.

"See," he said cheerfully, gesturing to Luna, "There you go! We have a solution. Thank you love," he said to her and gave her a quick peck on the lips. He didn't notice her shocked look, and the light smattering of pink on her cheeks. The shocked look quickly disappeared, but the pink turned deeper. Pomfrey, however, did notice this, and gave Luna a conspiratorial smile, which made Luna's blush deepen even more. Neville noticed none of this as he looked at Pomfrey with a hopeful look on his face.

"Fine," she sighed out, and Neville almost jumped up and down in excitement, "You can go to you seminar. But Ms. Lovegood will keep a heavy eye on you, and glue you to your seat if need be," Pomfrey eyed Luna, "Isn't that right Ms. Lovegood?"

"Of course Madame Pomfrey," Luna said, a wistful smile on her face. Pomfrey gave a sharp nod and conjured up some food in front of Neville.

"Eat up Mr. Longbottom," he said to him as she turned away, "You are going to need all of the strength you can get."

"Are you comfortable Neville," Luna asked him that afternoon as they waited for the students to arrive to their seminar. He had heard that almost the half of the hall had been filled with the Weasley's, a few more students than the amount from the Trio's seminar from yesterday. He was hoping that there would be less, but as they began to fill in, he realized that the hall would be almost entirely filled. He even saw Draco, Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Harry, and George moving to stand in the back.

"I'm fine Luna. What about you? It can be a bit intimidating to speak in front of the entire student body," he said to her, a smirk on his face. She smiled down at him, a twinkle in her eyes. Neville wished beyond wish that he could read her mind right now.

"I think the snorkleclumps will help me stay calm," she said in her airy voice, making Neville smile brighter at her words. He had no clue what those were, but she made him want to know. Soon the hall came to a relative silence. As much silence as you can get with a hall full of students from all years. Neville smiled brightly at them, and was about to speak, but he stopped and looked at Luna when he felt her hand on his shoulder. She smiled at him, and he nodded at her, allowing her to speak first.

"Hello students," she said with her airy voice. Her voice had been amplified, and it carried throughout the hall, "For those of you that don't know me, I am Luna Lovegood. I would like to say how much of an honor it is to be speaking with all of you today. Now, Professor Longbottom has to stay sitting down, but I hope that we can keep you as interested as possible." Suddenly a dark haired student stood up from the front row, and yelled _Sectumsempra_ at Luna. Neville felt time slow down, and as he struggled to pull his wand out, Luna calmly casted a protection spell. She hardly moved as she pointed her wand at the student, casting a silent _Expelliarmus. _His wand flew out of his hand and it gently landed in her waiting hand. There was a knowing smile on her face as she bound his hands and feet and swished her wand to have him float up to her. The adults had begun to move the students out of the hall, trying to keep them as calm as possible. The students give mush of a fuss, even though a lot of the younger students shook with fear, some with tears streaking down their faces. Neville was standing up, anger coursing through is veins.

"Jordan Selwyn," Neville hissed out as he hobbled over to them. He hardly noticed the pain in his knee he was so full of anger and adrenaline, "How dare you attack Luna Lovegood! What were you thinking?" The young man with the dark hair and crystal blue eyes glared at Luna, his breathing so intense that it hit their faces with a force. Luna placed a calming hand on Neville's shoulder.

"I know why he did it Neville," she said as their former classmates ran up behind the student, worry on their faces, "I scarred his father, and now he is trying to scar me all the way from Azkaban."

"What are you talking about Luna," asked Harry and Luna took a deep breath and opened her moth to speak, but the young man had cut in before she could.

"During the Final Battle Lovegood and my grandfather fought. And she left a long cut down his face. He asked me to get revenge for scarring him. I was only happy to oblige, you blood traitors," the young man screamed, and he fought against the ropes that bound him. Blood began to drip from his wrists from the friction of the ropes.

"You know nothing," Luna said, her voice strong and full of anger that Neville was shocked to hear. He gave her a confused look as she continued to speak to the student, "You know nothing of what we've suffered. I didn't scar your grandfather, he scarred me. And I am proud to have it. Because it reminds me every day of what we went through. Now, I'm going to release you. Neville nor the others are going to report you to McGonagall or the Ministry of what you have done. I will give you back your wand." Her voice had turned gentler, but it still held an edge to it that shocked the others. They stared at her with wide eyes, and the student looked taken aback.

"Why," Selwyn asked, his voice a whisper, "I would think that you would have me locked up in Azkaban, or at least expelled. Why are you releasing me?"

"Because your grandfather made you a soldier of a war that ended long ago," she said to him, and she slowly released his hands and feet, he rubbed his writs, trying to get the circulation back into them. She gave him a smile as she handed him his wand, "And I hope that this act of kindness shows you that what your grandfather believed in, what the Death Eaters stood for, what Voldemort tried to control, was death. I hear you have a muggle-born girlfriend, that you plan on marrying her when you get out of Hogwarts," she said to him, and he looked at her, shocked. He gave a shaky nod as they kept eye contact. She took another deep breath.

"If it was during our generation, your grandfather would have her killed. Because she holds your affections, because he saw her as nothing more than dirt under his boot. Do not be dragged into the past Jordan, live in the here and now, live on into the future, have a free and happy life that we and others fought for, that people died for. Live a life full of love, not hate. Can you do that for me," she asked him, her voice finally losing the last of its anger finally. She gave him a gentler smile and he smiled shakily back, and gave her a nod.

"I'm sorry. I guess I don't really know what you all had to go through when you were younger, when you were my age," she saw tears prickle in his eyes, and she grabbed his, a single tear falling down her own face at the memories from the war.

"We went through it so you don't have to," she said to him, squeezing his hand for support, "There will always be evil in the world. And there is a darkness, I think, in us all. But whether we decide to move into the darkness, or follow the path of the light, is a harder decision to make than any others. Our choices in life, are what make us, not where we come from. You need to always remember that. Now," she said cheerfully, her smile brightening, and some of the tension disappearing from the hall, "Go see your girlfriend, tell her you love her, spend time with her, and talk with her. Go on," she gestured towards the hall doors and he smiled as he ran out. Everyone stared at her; shocked, confused, worried looks on their faces. Neville was the most confused out of all of them, not realizing just how much she had changed during the war. At that moment McGonagall swept into the hall, a worried look on her face.

"What has happened," she asked, her accent thicker than usual, "Where is Selwyn?"

"I let him go Headmistress," Luna said calmly, and McGonagall's eyes shot to hers.

"May I ask why Ms. Lovegood," she asked slowly, her steps slowing down as she came to stand in front of the younger woman.

"I believe that he shouldn't be punished. He was merely a pawn in his grandfather's long played out game, and I think he understands that what he was doing was not the way," she said to the old Professor, who gave her a sharp nod.

"Very well. I trust your judgment Luna. I hope you are right," she said to the blond, who gave her a knowing, airy smile. McGonagall nodded to the others than walked off, out of the hall. It was silent for a few moments before Ron finally spoke.

"What the bloody hell was all of that Luna," he asked, and Hermione gave him a sharp hit to the stomach, "What? I've never seen her go off like that before! And what do you mean he scarred you?" Hermione gave him an imploring look as she fiercely whispered, "It's none of our business Ronald!"

"It's fine Hermione," Luna said serenely, and she began to step forward, "I have a lot to tell you all, and show you, and I think it would be best if we went back to our common room." Luna summoned Neville's wheelchair and gently moved him to sit in it, "You've hurt your knee, sit down and I'll float you there." She gave him the smile that usually would send all of his dark thoughts away, but he just stared at her. He didn't know what to say or do about what had happened, and the group made their way up to their rooms.

"What happened Luna, during the final battle," Harry asked as they all sat around where they were just laughing the night before. Neville watched her as she stood up, and slowly undid the pale yellow button-up blouse she wore. Ron began to object, and Harry blushed, but they all turned silent as a long pale scar came into view. It went from the top of her left collarbone and moved all the way across down to her right hip. Ginny gasped, and tears began to fall down her face. Things started to kick into place for Neville.

"Selwyn and I came face to face the last few moments of the final battle," she began, but she kept her eyes on Neville the whole time, "He had casted a spell, maybe the sectumsempra, I'm not sure, and he scarred me right here. While I was on the ground, he walked over towards me and pinned me down. I heard more than saw him began to unbuckle his belt," she stopped when Ginny's sobs became more prominent. Luna's voice stayed the same serene tone that it had started as, "He thought I was unconscious, and I grabbed my wand, and as I clawed my hand across his eye, I blasted his penis off." She finished simply with a smile, and Hermione began to laugh.

"That's what he meant by you scarring him," Hermione said through her laughter, and when Luna nodded Ginny began to laugh too. The boys just looked at them as if they were crazy, but it all stopped when Neville stood up abruptly.

"I should have been there," he told her, and he knelt down in front of her. He began to button up her shirt again, and the others stared at them, "I should have protected you. I'm so sorry Luna." A single tear fell down his face, and Luna gently wiped it away, her smile giving him the peace he so desperately needed.

"Don't blame yourself Neville. You can't change what happened. And he didn't do anything damaging. I've accepted it," she said to him, and the grip on her shirt went tighter in his anger.

"Not damaging! Not damaging! Look what he did to you! He's scarred you," he yelled at her as he shot to his feet again. Luna stood as well, but slower as she laid a hand on his cheek.

"Do you care that I have a scar," she asked him, and his eyes became wide as he spluttered, "Do you care that I have scars?"

"No," he said, his voice losing its fury and he rested his forehead against hers, "I love you for who you are. Your scars are a part of you, so I love them too." He smiled at her, and gave her a small kiss on the lips.

"Hold on," Ron said, interrupting the moment, everyone turned to look at him, but Hermione smacked her hand against her forehead as she groaned in impatience. Ron seemingly unknowingly ignored her actions, "When did you two become a thing?"

"He's liked her for years Ronald," Hermione said in exasperation and Ron gave her a confused look. Draco snorted.

"Even I noticed it Weasley, and I wasn't around you bunch back then. You really are oblivious," Draco said, a grin on his face. Neville couldn't help but chuckle when Ron pulled his wand out.

"I'll show you oblivious," he said to Draco angrily, but he tossed his wand down and launched towards him, placing him in a chokehold and gave him a nuggy. The others began to laugh at their antics, but Neville quickly returned his attention to Luna. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, never wanting to let go.

"I'm never going to let you go Luna Lovegood," he told as he gave her another tender kiss on the lips. She smiled knowingly at him.

"I know Neville," she said to him, "I wouldn't want you to."

"Welcome students," McGonagall said proudly, looking at all of the students in their uniforms, bright smiles on their faces, "This is our former students' last feast tonight, before they return to their jobs and leave us. They have written some parting words for us all. So I would like you to welcome Harry Potter." McGonagall said, her voice booming as she welcomed Harry to the phoenix podium. Harry shyly pushed his glasses up his nose as he smiled at the students.

"Being the 'Chosen One' and 'the Boy-Who-Lived' I am usually chosen to say a speech to everyone for the others, much to my despair," he said, making the hall erupt in laughter. He smiled at them as he continued, "I was never really good at words. And yet they still elect e to speak, don't ask me why. There is one thing that I would like to say to all of you though, that I hope will be carried on through you. A wise man told me once that our choices show what we truly are, far more than our abilities. And I have never found this to be more true than with this group of people here. They all have made some very difficult choices, some more than others," Harry looked at Draco who gave him a short nod in acknowledgment. Harry continued, "And it's scary to think about sometimes, what we really went through. Ron and Hermione deciding to be my friends, continuously putting themselves in danger throughout our years here. They could have left, but they stayed, and that is the greatest gift that anyone has ever given me. My wife Ginny, who continued on the DA along with the others, fighting with us at the Department of Mysteries. She also put herself in danger, and I love her so much for it."

"George, who lost his other half," Harry stopped suddenly, his voice choking up. He cleared his throat then continued, "And has continued to put laughter into our lives, and has showed us that nothing is so depressing that you can't laugh. Neville, who never was as blundering as we were when it came to the Gryffindor courage. He was always there though. He always had our back. And even when there was no hope left, he told Voldemort to his face that they would always lose. Luna, who showed us that it's ok to be different, to not be normal, even on wizard standards. And last but not least, Draco, who was in the darkest position of us all. I think that he had the most courage out of all of us, because he lied for us, and he fought a darkness within himself that could have gotten himself and his family killed. All of these people that are before you right now, including me, have known fear, have seen death much earlier than a person was ever meant to, and we want you to know, that you don't have to be in Gryffindor to be brave, or in Slytherin to show cunning, or be in Ravenclaw to be smart, or in Hufflepuff to be kind. Your choices are what make you who you are. You are the one that has to make that final decision in the end. Now hopefully, that decision will be on whether or not you work in the Ministry, and not whether or not you should help save the world. I hope you all make what you believe are the right choices. We hope that you have learned what you need to learn from us these past couple of days. And we were very honored for you having us with you. I hope all enjoy the delicious food, I know Ron is very particular to the fried chicken," Harry said finally, making the hall laugh again, breaking the tension that had settled over everyone. Harry moved back to his seat next to his wife as the food appeared. Everyone began to dig in. Neville was sitting beside Luna, who had tears in her eyes as her smile stayed serene. Neville gently wiped them away, causing Luna to look at him.

"I know that we haven't even gone on a date yet," he began quietly as he stared into her blue orbs, "But I want you to know that I love you." Luna's smile brightened as she leaned in and gave him a passionate yet tender kiss on the lips.

"I know Neville, I love you too," she said to him in her breathy voice, and Neville grinned at her.

"Good, now I don't have to tell you all of the reasons why we should be together," he told her and gave her another kiss. They were disrupted when Ron yelled at them from two seats away.

"Oi, you lovebirds," he said, and the adults looked at him, Hermione ran a hand down her face in exasperation as he continued, "Get a room! You're almost as bad as Harry and Ginny at the family Sunday dinners. Which is probably worse since she's my sister!" The group of them erupted into laughs, even Hermione as she grabbed his face and gave him a strong kiss.

"Will you be quiet and eat your food Ronald and leave them alone," Hermione asked, a grin on her face. Ron grinned back at her.

"Only if you kiss me like that more often," he said with a smirk and Neville looked back at Luna who smiled at him.

"I think that can be arranged," she said to him and they kissed again, finally feeling completely at peace.

**A/N: Wow, this has to be the LONGEST one-shot I have ever written ever! The breaks that I made seem to have disappeared, and I am too lazy to go through the entire thing with a fine tooth comb and replace them. I hope you can tell where they were originally! The main idea came from the story Connected by Hesaluti, so check her/him out since she/he is amazing! I hope you all enjoyed this. It took me a while, and I better get reviews for my cramped fingers! See you all later! ~Aretemis**


End file.
